Wedding March
by Grayecam
Summary: Will Draco and Ginny ever make it to the alter?Complete
1. Default Chapter

_a/n-Ok, here it is. The third installment of the PITD series. I'll just go ahead and say, this has lingered on my computer for weeks because I didn't like the ending. Still don't. So you might look for a large edit later. I decided to go ahead and put it up here since the bulk of the story is ok, its just the last chapter and Epilogue I don't like. Tell me what you think. _

_As always, all charaters belong to JK Rowlings, and the songs belong to Five for Fighting._

The thing that Ron Weasley had long dreaded was finally about to happen. His little sister, his _baby _sister, was going to marry Draco "The amazing bouncing ferret" Malfoy. It bloody boiled his blood, it did. He couldn't think of anything or anyone he detested more than Malfoy. The constant badgering and insults at school about him, his family, the lack of money, had started his dislike. The incessant picking at Harry and Hermione hadn't helped. Then the ferret had gotten to Ginny. _His_ Ginny. The sweet little girl that had adored Ron as no one but a little sister could. She'd followed him around when they were small, and followed him around once she reached Hogwarts. He could always count on Gin to be there when no one else was. Until Malfoy, that is. And in the end, she'd sided with HIM and left Ron wondering what the hell had happened to his lovely little sister.

He'd tried to punish her. Had gone for nearly three years barely speaking to her, trying to do something, anything, to get through to her that Malfoy was unacceptable to him. It didn't work. Then Malfoy had to go and save his life during that final battle. He was forced to at the very least treat the ferret civilly or else end up looking the complete jackass. So he had, and he'd begun speaking to Gin again, barely. He'd suffered his true feelings on Draco Malfoy in silence.

But now, Malfoy was planning to add a wedding band to the big _green _(and don't think he didn't point that out to his entire Gryffindor family) engagement ring she'd worn for some time now. He had to do something. The time for desperate action was upon him. A date had been set, and to Ron, it was the deadline to get rid of the ferret once and for all.

So he planned and schemed and set it up carefully. Fool proof he thought. Little did he know, in the end, the only fool was him.

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Ginny saw the picture in the paper the moment she opened her eyes. How could she not with Ron standing over her bed, holding it up like a prize in front of him.

"I told you Gin. I told you he was up to no good." Said Ron, with a touch of smugness to his voice, as he shoved the paper into her hands.

Ginny rubbed her sleepy eyes, and tried to focus on the picture Ron had carefully folded to the front. "What are you on about Ron?"

Then she saw it. Draco. Draco and some…. trollop. Obviously in a nightclub somewhere, from the look of the picture's background. And her tongue was shoved down Ginny's fiancé's throat!

"Who…. who is this, Ron?" she asked, not quite ready to believe what she was seeing.

"Who is it? It's Draco, of course!" Ron said. "Don't you recognize him? He is your fiancé after all."

"No, no, I see its Draco. Who is this…. woman?" Ginny clarified, pointing to the female latched on to Draco in the picture.

"Oh." Said Ron, suddenly not smiling. "I don't know. Does it matter? He's caught, red handed. You can't possibly marry him now."

"Get out Ron." Said Ginny, suddenly. "I have things to take care of."

Ron left Ginny's room, feeling satisfied that he had finally put an end to the fiasco of Ginny and Draco that had gone on too long as it was.

In her room, Ginny stared at the picture. How could he do this to her? Why would he do this to her? It wasn't as if they had any problems. Sure, they fought, but the making up more than compensated for the bickering. And it wasn't as if she denied him sexual favors. She was fairly nymphomanical about Draco. She just didn't understand.

A wave of nausea hit her suddenly and she ran for the bathroom. As she retched into the toilet, Ginny's thoughts turned from unbelieving to furious. As soon as she was able, she dressed and apparated straight to Draco's apartment building. She entered the building and banged loudly on his door. For several minutes.

Draco finally flung the door open looking less than happy and bit green around the gills. He looked confused and said "Ginny? Why didn't you just use your key love?"

Ginny stormed past him and into the apartment. "Because I wanted you wide awake and listening!"

Draco shut the door and turned around slowly, trying to gather his thoughts. He knew that tone. Ginny was about to blow her top and he hadn't a clue why. Quickly he ran though all his actions in the last few days. "What have I done, love?" he asked, trying to smile through the splitting headache he had.

"Don't you love me! Care to explain this!" Ginny spat and threw the paper at him.

Draco quickly ducked, causing him to wince as a spike of pain shot through his head. He turned and picked up the paper from the floor where it landed just behind him.

"What is it princess? You surely don't want me to explain the ministry's announcement on cauldrons? Percy should have that covered. Or is it the final scored on the Cannons versus the-" he broke off as he unfolded the paper and saw the other half. The half with the picture of him and someone that was not Ginny engaged in swapping saliva.

Draco looked up in horror. The look on Ginny's face told him this one wasn't going to be as easy as a nibble on her ear and a swift trip to the bedroom to solve. This was going to require some serious explanation. Trouble was, Draco hadn't the foggiest idea how he was going to explain. He realized he had no idea who this woman was, or what he was doing, because he couldn't remember anything from last night at all.

"Well?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow with a look on her face that Draco recognized quite well as his own. He now realized how he hated that look.

"Ginny, I-I don't know what to say."

"You don't know what to say! How about giving me some reasonable explanation of this photo." She looked almost desperate now. "Just say it was doctored. Say it wasn't the way it looked. Say it wasn't you!"

"Honestly Ginny, I don't know." He said, rubbing his temples. "I had a few drinks last night with a new member of the orchestra last night at the theater. I truly don't even remember leaving there."

"Don't remember?" Ginny said, scowling at him. "Did you get that drunk?"

"Well, that's the thing. I think I only had a couple of fire whiskeys. I don't understand at all." Said Draco puzzled. "Really Ginny, I swear to you, I didn't do anything wrong. At least, not that I remember. I don't know anything about this photo, or being at any nightclub, or any woman."

He looked hopefully at Ginny. She looked ready to believe him. Maybe he'd smooth this over yet. Then the most horrifying thing happened. His bathroom door, not his private bath, adjoining his bedroom, but the one guests used, off the kitchen, opened. And out waltzed the woman in the picture, wearing nothing but a towel.

"Draco darling, you're up. I thought you'd surely sleep the day away, all the partying we did last night. Have you seen my underwear sweet? You remember, they're red with-"she noticed Ginny and sneered. "Oh, I didn't know you had company."

Ginny looked at the woman and turned to look at Draco. Her eyes were hard and cold. She walked past him, slamming the door, out of his apartment, without a word.

Draco looked at the woman in the towel. "Now that you've broken up my engagement, would you care to tell me who the hell you are and what the bloody hell you're doing in my apartment?"


	2. Chapter 2

Ron whistled happily as he went about his paperwork. Things had gone perfectly. The wedding was off. It had been three weeks and Gin still hadn't taken the ferret's floos or owls. Of course, she spent all of her time either in her room crying or in the bathroom being sick, according to his mum, but he figured she'd get over that eventually. And just incase she didn't, Ron had a back up plan for a second strike if her resolve wavered at all.

"Happy today, are we?" Hermione said, standing in the doorway.

He smiled and held his hand out to her. As she came closer, he pulled her down into his lap and said, "Why shouldn't I be happy? I have the most beautiful witch in the world as my wife, the most wonderful son, the best friend a man could ask for, and my sister is not marrying that ferrety Malfoy after all."

Hermione frowned. "Ron, I don't think its very kind of you to take glee in Ginny and Draco's misery."

"I'm sorry my sister is unhappy, but she'll move on. And Malfoy is getting what he deserves. Let him wallow in the knowledge he's lost the best thing he'll ever have." Ron said.

"You know, I still don't understand it. They were SO crazy for each other. And Draco-he's not the same. He'd become such a better person."

Ron snorted. "A better person. You all kept saying that. You, Bill, the twins, even Harry. But doesn't this prove I was right about him all along?"

"I guess so." Said Hermione, looking doubtful. "I still can't believe it though."

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Draco was desperate. It had been over three weeks and Ginny wouldn't take his floos or his owls. He'd finally shown up on the doorstep of the burrow, but the twins had steadfastly refused him entrance.

"What did we tell you, mate, all those years ago?" said George.

"Quite right. " replied Fred. "Because we've grown rather fond of you old man, we're going to let you off-This ONE time- you understand. But don't show your face around here again. Else we'll have to rearrange it a bit."

George looked sorrowfully at him "Why'd you do it mate? Why'd you have to go and ruin it? You do realize Mum's nearly as brokenhearted about it as Ginny? And Gin, Gin won't even come out of her room. Except to run to the bathroom to be sick. What have you done Draco?"

Draco had pleaded, but the twins had been steadfast. Finally, Bill, whom he considered a good friend, came out.

"Sorry Draco. They aren't going to let you in. And frankly, I'm not sure I would either, considering the state Gin's in right now. Best to just go on home."

"But Bill, I need to make it right." Said Draco. "I honestly don't remember what happened. I love Ginny. I don't want to hurt her. I'd never do that on purpose, you have to believe me."

"I do believe you Malfoy." Said Bill, clapping his hand over Draco's shoulder and steering him down the steps. "And Gin may believe you too. But not now. Give her some time. Let her pull herself together. Then try again."

"But when Bill? How long?" asked Draco, sounding quite pitiful. "I have to talk to her. At the very least to apologize."

"I'll tell you what I'll do. When Gin gets over her crying and retching, I'll get her out of the house. And when she goes, I'll owl you, where and when. Then you can have your chance." Bill said.

"Gods, Bill, if you'd do that. I can't thank you enough." Draco said, looking a little less hopeless.

Bill had been true to his word, and two weeks later, Draco had received an owl telling him when and where Ginny would be.

Bill was a good hearted fellow, and because he harbored no ill will towards Draco, and even understood how something like this, while completely stupid, might happen accidentally, he wanted to see things work out. He really did like Draco, and he loved his little sister. After watching her alternately cry and vomit for over a month over Malfoy, he understood she loved Draco, and he wanted her to be happy. The only mistake Bill made in all of this was to tell Ron about what he had done.

"WHY? Why Bill, would you let the Ferret have another chance to upset her?" Ron had bellowed at him.

Taken by surprise at Ron's venom, Bill had replied. "Little brother, you need to chill out just a bit. Ginny loves him, and I think he loves her too. Everyone makes mistakes, and I don't think he'd do this to her on purpose. A man can do some stupid things when he's drunk, believe me."

"Drunkenness is no excuse. If I had my way, he'd be tied to the nearest stake and burned properly." Ron ranted.

When Bill had left, Ron went to his fireplace and tossed floo powder into it.

He gave the time and place to the person on the other end and said, "You know what to do."


	3. Chapter 3

Molly drug Ginny along Diagon Alley. Ginny tried very hard to be cheerful for her mother, but it was beginning to wear on her. She was so tired and all she really wanted to do was go home and sleep. Depression had a way of wearing a girl out she supposed. Thank God she'd at least managed to get over the vomiting. Now if only she could get some energy back.

As the women passed the ice cream parlor, Ginny was suddenly struck with the urge for a bott's beans and chocolate frog sundae. "Mum, can we stop for a moment? I'd like an ice cream."

Molly, pleased that Ginny had expressed a desire to do _anything_, agreed. Up until then, Ginny had only followed obediently along, not seeming to be interested at all.

The two women sat, eating their ice cream when Ginny felt a familiar hand on her shoulder. Without looking, she knew his touch immediately, and had to use all her willpower not to turn to him and throw her arms about him.

"Ginny."

Ginny sat quite still, saying nothing at all.

"I think Draco that you had better leave." Molly said, starting to rise.

"Please Molly. I really need to talk to Ginny. Just for a minute. I promise I'll go away then." He said.

"Well-"Molly said, looking uncertain.

"Go ahead Mum." Said Ginny. "It's alright. Why don't you go over to the fabric shop like you wanted to? Draco and I have a few last things to say, I think."

"If you're sure dear." Molly said, studying her.

"I am Mum. I'll be fine." Ginny smiled reassuringly at her.

Molly hurried away. Draco took his hand from her shoulder and moved around to sit in the chair opposite of her. Ginny looked up to meet his gray eyes. It nearly undid her. She saw, as she always did, awe, admiration, and most of all, love in them. Aimed at her. That look always had been aimed only at her. That's why this was so hard for her to take. He'd obviously looked at someone else that way, if only for one night.

"Ginny, I'm so sorry." He said.

"I know that Draco. It doesn't make it any better." She replied.

"I know it doesn't. I wish I could tell you exactly what happened. I swear to you Gin, I have no recollection of that night at all after having two drinks at the theater. Obviously, I continued drinking. Obviously, I did some things I shouldn't have, would never have done, if I had been sober. I can't take those things back. All I can do is tell you how awful I feel about it."

"Who was she?" Ginny asked, looking up at him sharply.

"I still don't really know. " Draco said. "When you stormed out, I asked her who she was and what she was doing there. I'll tell you, if you want to know. But are you sure you really want to hear it?"

"I'm sure I need to hear it. I've been humiliated Draco. Everyone saw that picture. I need to know what happened."

"Ok then. " Draco said. "She told me her name was Isolde. I didn't get or ask for her last name. She says I came into the nightclub around 8 or so and asked her to dance. She said I didn't seem all that knackered to her, but Gin I must have been. She said we danced, I invited her to sit with me, and that later I invited her home with me. "

"And then?" Ginny asked.

Draco looked up from the spot on the ground he had been studying. "You know what."

"I want to hear you say it."

Draco scowled. "We had sex alright? She said we had sex, not once but several times. "He saw Ginny wince and grimaced. This wasn't what he'd planned to say. "She says I passed out and when she woke up she borrowed the guest shower incase I woke up and needed the bathroom. And yes, before you ask, her underwear was in my bedroom."

Tears began to drip down Ginny's face and Draco leapt from the chair to hunker down in front of hers. "Please don't cry Gin. I'm so sorry. How can I make it up to you? I swear to God, it will NEVER happen again. I've quit drinking completely. I never did that much before, but if this is what happens, then I don't want to anymore. I'd do just about anything, anything, Gin, if you'd just consider giving me another chance."

Ginny said nothing, but the tears continued to fall. Draco tentatively reached out and grasped her hands. She didn't pull away, and he was encouraged. "I love you princess. I can hardly breathe without you. If I've lost you then I don't think I can go on. You know I'd never hurt you deliberately. Will you at least consider it?"

Ginny studied him for a few moments. She gave him a half smile and he his heart soared. She was going to forgive him, he just knew it.

Ginny opened her mouth to speak, "Draco, I-"

"Draco. I was just on my way to see you."

Draco looked up with dread. There, standing before he and Ginny, was Isolde.

Straightening to full height, Draco replied coolly, "Yes Isolde? What is it you need?"

The dark haired witch looked from Draco to Ginny and back to Draco again nervously. "Well, I really think we should speak privately."

Ginny began to rise, but Draco put a hand on her shoulder, stilling her back into her seat. "Anything you have to say Isolde can be said in front of my fiancée."

"Fiancée?" the woman said. "I had no idea. Well, fact of the matter is, Draco. I've just come from seeing a mediwitch at St. Mungos. I'm pregnant. And according to the dates the mediwitch confirmed, it's your baby."

Draco stood in stunned silence. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't.

"There must be some mistake Isolde." He said firmly.

"There's no mistake. It's your baby. What are you going to do about it?" she challenged him.

"I-" he began, but Ginny interrupted him.

"If you could excuse us for just one moment, Isolde? Draco and I were just finishing up some business, and then you can carry on this conversation with him in private, as you wanted." Ginny said, turning and walking a few feet away without waiting for an answer. Draco followed.

"Ginny, I don't know what-"he began.

"To say? No, I imagine you don't Draco." Said Ginny. "But I do."

She pulled the emerald ring that she had worn for years now off her finger. With her free hand, she grabbed his and turned it over palm up. She placed the ring in his hand and said, "Your about to be a father. I don't believe you planned it, and I do believe your story about not remembering Draco, but what's done is done, and fate has seen to it that you and I can't go on with our plans pretending like this never happened. There will be a child involved now. I do love you Draco, but this is it. I hope you have a nice life."

Ginny turned and walked away.


	4. Chapter 4

For the next month, Draco walked around in a daze. The moment his brain had finally registered that Ginny was gone for good, it had shut down. Self preservation had to be the reason, because when he dared let his mind wander towards the red head he longed for; suicide began to look better than life without her.

He had managed to talk civilly with Isolde. But it was a week after the scene at the ice cream parlor. That day, he had strode past her after Ginny left, and when she followed asking him what she was to do about her condition, he had replied that she could fall into a vat of boiling oil for all he cared. She had wisely let him walk away, but a week later, showed up at his apartment door and he had let her in. There was after all, a baby to consider. His child.

He had allowed her to move in when she asked. But she was to sleep in the spare bedroom. He had no intentions of ever having relations with this woman again; in fact, it turned his stomach slightly just to look at her. It wasn't that she was unattractive. To the contrary, she was quite the beautiful witch, in a sultry sort of way. But Draco unconsciously related her to losing the love of his life, and he couldn't shake that off.

He came out of his daze the night he ran into Ginny at a ministry ball. It was a reunion of sorts, held for those involved in the final battle against Voldemort. She was standing just next to the punch bowl. Draco gazed at her hungrily, taking in the fact she'd gained a little weight (although it looked good on her) and that she was fairly glowing. She looked more beautiful than he'd ever seen her. Debating with himself for a moment, he approached her.

"Ginny." He said, touching her arm.

She turned, paled a bit when she saw it was he, but then smiled and said, "Hello Draco."

"How are you Gin?" he asked searching for something to say.

"Wonderful, actually. And you?" she asked.

"I-" he was about to tell her how much he missed her, then a tall brown haired man walked up and wrapped an arm around Ginny's waist. Seamus Finnigan.

"Gin, me lass. There you are. Sorry about that. Dean cornered me." He said, looking down at her.

"Quite alright, Seamus. I was just talking with Draco a moment." She said smiling. Draco seethed. She _smiled_ at Finnigan.

"Malfoy!" Seamus said, extending a hand. "Good to see you!"

"Finnigan." Draco ground out through his teeth, taking Seamus' hand. "Good to see you too."

"I heard you in the orchestra last week. Took Mum, you know. Smashing!" Seamus said, as disgustingly friendly as Draco remembered him to be.

"Thank you. We do our best." He replied, his hands curling into fists at his sides as he fought the urge to tell Finnigan to remove his hand from Ginny before he smashed his face in.

"Do you still play the Harmonica? I remember the little one you had in camp…." Seamus mused.

"Yes, I still have it. Although I have very little time to play it these days. Actually Ginny gave me that for Christmas one year." Draco said, watching Ginny look uncomfortable when he recalled how he received the instrument.

Just then, the music began in the ballroom and Ginny took the opportunity to escape a situation she felt was quickly turning awkward. "Seamus, dance with me?"

"Why certainly, my lassie love. " he said, taking her hand. "See you about Malfoy! Don't be a stranger. "

Draco stood very still as he tried to control his ragged breathing. He had thought he was past this ridiculous heartache. He couldn't possibly continue to fall to pieces every time he saw her. Nor could he give in to the urge to pound any bloke she was with.

Draco watched Ginny dancing with Finnigan. She chattered away happily and Finnigan was grinning like an idiot. He ought to be grinning, Draco though. He must know how lucky he is to have gotten a date with her. When Finnigan dipped his head down and kissed Ginny, it was more than Draco could bear. He pivoted on his heel and left the ballroom.

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Ginny had been well aware that Draco was watching her dance with Seamus. She felt his gaze boring into her back. When Seamus had leaned in to kiss her, she had allowed it, even though she knew it would upset him. She felt like it had to be done. The man was going to be the father of someone else's child. He had to let go.

"He's gone love." Seamus said kindly.

"What? Who?" Ginny said, trying to act puzzled.

"Draco. He's gone. I know it was awkward for you Ginny. I understand. I almost feel sorry for the poor fellow. He looked completely miserable when he was talking to us." Said Seamus, watching Draco slam out of the ballroom.

"Don't feel too sorry for him Seamus. He made his own bed. I'm trying to let go and move on. He has to do the same." She said.

"Is that really what you want Gin? To move on? I only ask because, well, I'd like to be the one to help you move on, if you'd let me." Seamus said, his voice questioning.

Ginny searched the laughing blue eyes of the man in front of her. She wondered what he would say if he knew her secret. There was only one way to find out. "I'd like that Seamus. But there's something you need to know, before you decide that…."


	5. Chapter 5

It was three months later that several things suddenly became known to Draco Malfoy. The first was that Isolde, while indeed pregnant, was not pregnant with HIS child. He surprised her one day, at the midwitch's office, showing up just after the consultation had begun and learned that she was only four months along, when by his count, she should be six, if the child in fact, belonged to him. The scene in the examination room was chilling. The poor midwitch could do no more than cower in the corner of the room as Draco raved at Isolde.

"How _dare_ you? How dare you try to pass off another man's child as mine? And not only that, by my math, you weren't even pregnant when you came to me. You went out and GOT pregnant, LATER? Why, I'd like to know, would you want to do that to someone you hardly know? What did I ever do to you? Do you realize what you did? _YOU RUINED MY LIFE!!! _Irretrievably. I can never undo the damage that you've done. You destructive, evil, conniving witch. I can't believe I didn't see though you! Whose child is it, by the way?"

"It doesn't matter. Draco, we could make this work, you know. No one has to know it isn't your child. We could get married; we could be a real family." Isolde said, cringing at the withering look he gave her.

"I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole, much less marry you. I suggest you seek out whoever fathered that child you carry. I want you out of my house by the time I get home tonight." Draco snarled at her and slammed out the door of the room.

He was so furious he could barely see in front of him. That was probably why he ran into someone coming in on his way out of the office. He heard a woman's startled cry and remembering where he was, immediately put out a hand to grab and steady her. He found himself looking into the face of Ginny.

"Ginny!" he said as she said "Draco!"

"What are you doing here?" he said as she asked the same question simultaneously.

Seeing Isolde peeping around the edge of the door behind him, Ginny said "Oh!"

Draco suddenly looked at Ginny and noticed the slight rise of her stomach and said "Oh!"

Releasing her, Draco noticed the diamond on her left hand. He took her hand to look at it. A little small, but tasteful, he though, ruefully.

"I guess you and Seamus…." He let his words trail off.

"Yes." She said, discreetly taking her hand back. "I guess you and Isolde will be doing the same soon? I had heard she moved in with you."

"No." Draco snapped. "That situation has changed."

"I'm sorry." Ginny said, laying a hand on his arm to comfort. He shivered at her touch. She felt it and took her hand away quickly.

"Don't be. I've just learned that the baby she's carrying is not mine." He said, twisting his mouth into a grimace.

Ginny paled visibly. She felt behind her for something solid to hold herself up with.

Draco looked alarmed and grabbed her arm again to steady her. "Ginny? Are you all right? It's not your baby is it?"

"No, no. I'm fine, really. Just felt a bit faint for a moment. It happens sometimes." She said, trying to compose herself.

"Doesn't it just figure? I just find out I've been lied to by the woman who's supposed to be carrying my child and at the same time find out the woman I love is carrying someone else's child." Draco said, shaking his head.

"Draco!" Ginny admonished.

"Sorry. I can't help it Ginny. I love you. Always have, always will. I hate that such a terrible lie could come between us. I won't bother you, don't worry. You can marry Finnigan, and have your baby, and be happy." Draco touched her cheek for a moment, then aimed a classicly nasty Malfoy smirk at her, and strode out of the midwitch's office, leaving Ginny looking after him like she was about to burst into tears.

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Isolde stood in front of Ron Weasley glowering. "You have to do something!"

"I don't have to do anything." Ron replied. "I paid you well for the part you played in all this. If you had managed to pull off the ruse, you'd have Draco Malfoy as well. It's not my fault you couldn't keep up the lie. And it's not my problem now."

"What am I supposed to do now?" Cried Isolde.

"I would suggest doing just what Malfoy told you to. Go to the father of your baby." He said.

"I don't know who it is." Isolde said, barely loud enough for Ron to make out.

He looked at her for a moment. Then he shrugged and said; "I guess you do have a problem then, don't you? You have to leave now. My wife will be home any minute."

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Ginny flopped down on her bed at the burrow. She still felt like she might pass out from the news Draco had given her in the midwitch's office. Not his baby. Oh dear lord, what was she supposed to do now?

When she had walked away from Draco that day in Diagon Alley, she hadn't known she was pregnant. She had really assumed the vomiting and the tiredness was depression and grief from the break up. She had still denied it to herself a month later. She had only allowed herself the truth just after Seamus had approached her to attend the reunion with him. She had explained things to Seamus, and bless him, he understood. He had questioned her a little on her decision not to tell Draco about their baby but she was firm in her belief that two children would just complicate things more for him, and she didn't want to continue a relationship with him, knowing that he had slept with and impregnated another woman while they were together. After she had convinced Seamus of the firmness of her resolve, he had suggested that she marry him. He offered to be a father to her child. Ginny resisted at first, feeling it was unfair to him, but he kept at her. He told her that they could move slowly, that he didn't expect her to act in wifely capacity to him until she was ready, and that he realized it was bit backwards, but there WAS a baby coming, and he was willing to wait for Ginny. Finally she had relented, and thanks to her ability to carry the baby so unobtrusively, no one knew how far along she really was. Only her and Seamus. She hadn't yet worked out what she was going to say when the baby came along in just two more months instead of four and a half but she felt sure she'd come up with something.

Today's revelations had thrown her for a loop though. No other baby. It made things completely different. When Draco had professed his undying love for her, she'd nearly come clean and told him the truth. But the look on his face when he spoke of the lie Isolde had told had caused her to hold back. After all, her lie wasn't all that different. She couldn't bear for Draco look that way when he spoke of her. She didn't quite know what to do.

"Oh, baby. I've made a huge mess of things for us." She said, rubbing her stomach.


	6. Chapter 6

Hermione Weasley stepped onto her doorstep and was quite startled when a lovely dark haired woman stepped out of the shadows.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to bother you, but I'm desperate and you might be the only person who can help me." Said the woman.

"Do I know you?" asked Hermione.

"My name is Isolde, and your husband knows me. He paid me to do something a bit underhanded a few months ago and now I'm in a bit of a jam."

Hermione registered the name as the woman Draco had gotten pregnant. When Isolde mentioned Ron being involved knew immediately that she wasn't going to like what she was about to hear. She sunk into the swing on the porch and sighed. "Tell me."

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Ron looked up from his desk to see Hermione and Harry standing in the doorway. "Hullo, love. You're a bit later than I though you'd be. Harry? What are you doing out this time of night? And where is Grange, Hermione?"

"Grange is spending the night at your mum's, Ron. I asked her to take him. Harry is here because I asked him. We have something to talk about and I'm hoping that if I can't do it, Harry can convince you to do the right thing." Hermione said, stepping into the room and sitting down on the couch.

Ron walked over to the couch and sat down beside Hermione. "I don't understand. What is going on?"

"Ron, Isolde came to see me tonight. She told me what you two did to Draco. I was furious at first. I have to tell you, I almost left you for good. Grange and I went to see Harry and he convinced me that while your actions may have been atrocious, your heart was probably in the right place. You can thank him for keeping your marriage in tact if this reaches some satisfactory conclusion tonight." Hermione said matter of factly.

Ron had bristled at the mention of Isolde's name. He knew exactly what had happened. The bint had gone and told Hermione about their deal. "Listen, you don't understand. I HAD to do something. I couldn't let Ginny marry that prat."

"You're wrong, Ron." Said Harry, seating himself in the chair directly across from the couch. "We do understand. I do especially. I felt the same way for a long time. But I was wrong, and so are you."

"Harry, how can you say that? You know what he's like. He tormented you as much as he did me in school. Maybe more." Ron exclaimed.

"That Ron is ancient history. He also saved our lives. Yours and mine too. That day in battle, he didn't have to follow us. But he did. And he stood beside you and took down people he once considered _friends._ Could you imagine having to kill one of our friends because they were on the wrong side? Seamus or Dean? Could you do it? He did. And then he saved your life, and mine with it, because if those dementors had gotten you, they'd have gotten me too. And he stood against his own father Ron. He pretty much told us how to win that battle. If he hadn't been there to tell us what he knew his father would do, we'd have been taken by surprise and quite possibly lost." Harry said, leaning forward.

Ron started to disagree with what Harry had said, but Hermione interrupted. "And that's not all Ron. Draco has defended me to those who would call me mudblood and look down their noses at me. When you were in the field, and I was working at the ministry, he physically removed Blaise Zabini, before he could hex me when I insulted him after he called me a mudblood. And that isn't the only time Draco has set someone back on their heels for calling me names or questioning my parentage. Although we bicker quite often, he's been steadfastly loyal as my friend. And he _is_ your son's godfather. And it's not as if he shirks the job either, despite your animosity towards him. You know he's here constantly to see Grange, or take Grange somewhere. Grange adores him too. Would you care for your son to know what an awful thing you did to his Uncle Draco? How would you feel then?"

Ron opened his mouth to protest but Harry jumped back in before he could speak. "And lets talk about how good he is or isn't for Ginny, since I know that's what your about to say. Ron, even a blind wizard could see that Draco has been completely devoted to Ginny since day one. He's stood up to you, me, all your brothers, Arthur, and his father too. Not to mention the crap he must have taken off the Slytherins about her. And never once did he waver. That's about as steadfast as you can get if you ask me. He made her happy Ron. You have to admit it. She's never been so happy. I realize it galls you a bit to loose the all encompassing admiration Gin had for you as her older brother to another man, but Ron, its time. She didn't complain when you finally wised up and admitted you loved Hermione. Don't you think it felt at least a little the same? Your entire family has recognized that Draco, for all the faults he may have, loves Ginny. You are the only one who refuses to see that. Now both of them are miserable Ron, and that's your fault. Is that what you really wanted?"

"Ginny's not miserable. She's happy. She and Seamus are getting married." Ron declared.

"Ron, I wasn't supposed to tell you this, but I think you need to know exactly the sort of mess you've made with your little plan." Said Hermione. "Seamus told me a couple of weeks back that Ginny is pregnant. But that's not all. It's not his baby. It's Draco's. She didn't want to tell him because she didn't want to complicate his life even more. Ginny doesn't love Seamus. She still loves Draco, but she's going to marry a man she doesn't love and keep Draco's child a secret from him. All because of what you and Isolde did."

Ron looked defeated. "I swear I didn't know Hermione."

"I know that Ron. But what you have to do is learn to let people live their own lives. Ginny didn't need your help. Now she's stuck in a situation she can't fix. What are you going to do about it?"

"What can I do? I can't take it all back. Ginny's engaged to Seamus now. At least Draco found out about Isolde before he married her." Said Ron.

"Yes, thank the gods for that." Hermione said, "But Ron, you have to fix this. You can't let Draco go through life not knowing he has a child. A child that will be here in just a couple of months."

"A couple of months? Is it that close? I had no idea. How could I not know my own sister was pregnant?" Ron exclaimed.

"She's hidden it from everyone." Said Harry. "She only told Seamus. The only reason I knew about it was because she ran into Draco in the midwitch's office with Isolde and seemed shaken by it and needed to talk. I didn't understand why at the time. Now I do."

"Why didn't she just tell him?" Ron wondered.

"She still thinks Draco slept with Isolde. She knows the baby isn't his, but she's lied now. She has to stick to it. Or so she thinks." Said Hermione.

"I have to see Ginny." Ron said, grabbing his cloak and hurrying out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione looked up to the sound of the door opening to see her husband entering with a look that could only be described as a man in misery. Despite her anger at him, a pang of sympathy shot through her heart.

"Was it bad, then, dear?"

Ron sunk into a chair and put his head in his hands. "You've no idea Hermione. I couldn't think of any way to tell her gently, so I just came out with it. The whole sordid tale."

"What did she say, Ron?" Hermione asked quietly.

"She didn't say anything. Nothing at all. The look on her face though, Hermione. She looked as if I had Adavra Kedavraed her. I couldn't bear it." Ron said, his broad shoulders trembling. "What have I done? I've hurt someone I loved, when I only meant to protect them. She'll probably never speak to me again, and how could I blame her? I don't know how I'll ever make it up to her."

"You've done the right thing Ron. It's up to her now. Ginny loves you. Eventually she will forgive you." Hermione said.

"And what about you, Hermione?" he asked, raising his head to look at her. "Will you forgive me? Are you going to leave me?"

Hermione rose from her seat and settled herself on the arm of the chair Ron was sitting in. She put her arms around his neck and he pressed his head into her stomach. "No, Ron. I was angry, but I know you. I know you wouldn't ever be deliberately cruel, especially to Ginny. You just don't think things out properly. You have to promise me to try to do that from now on before you go off with another half baked scheme like this."

"I will. I promise." Ron said. He pulled his wife down into his lap and held her tightly. "I guess we'll be having dinner at home this Sunday."

"Why is that?" asked Hermione. "We always have Sunday dinner at your mums."

"Because when Mum heard what I'd done, she had quite a few things to say to me. One of them was that I was not to come back to the burrow until she'd had time to cool down, or else she'd let me know how the frying pan felt on the back of my head." Ron said ruefully. "She was tossing kitchen utensils at me on my way out, as it was."

Hermione laughed. "She'll cool down. But we'll stay home this weekend, just in case."

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Draco looked up from his guitar when the faint knock on the door came. He wasn't sure he'd actually heard it. It was the middle of the night and surely no one would be visiting at that hour. But then it came again.

Putting the guitar down, he went over to it and opened it.

All the breath left his lungs with a whoosh as he saw Ginny standing there before him.

"Ginny-"he started but she silenced him by stepping into the apartment and reaching up to pull his blond head down, kissed him.

Draco groaned into her mouth and digging one hand into the red hair at the back of her head, snatched her to him. He wondered if he was sleeping, he'd dreamed of her coming to him like this so many times.

Breaking off the kiss, he tried again to speak. "Ginny what-"

"Don't." she said, interrupting his questions. "Just love me Draco. Love me."

The request was more than he could bear. Sweeping her off her feet, he carried her to his bedroom. He pushed the cloak she was wearing off her shoulders to reveal the soft flannel gown underneath. After fumbling for a few moments with the tiny buttons down the front, he growled and grasped the neck of the gown. With one swift snatch, the buttons popped off and he pushed the gown off her shoulders and into a puddle at her feet. He gazed at her, standing before him, her chocolate eyes almost black with desire, in only a pair of plain cotton underwear. His mouth twitched as his eyes drifted to the small swell of her stomach but despite the pain it brought him to think that she carried another man's child, he had to admit Ginny was lovely pregnant. She noticed where he was looking and put a protective arm across her abdomen.

"No, no don't. " he said, dropping to his knees before her. He moved her arm away and kissed her stomach. "It's beautiful. You're beautiful."

He moved his mouth lower still, to rain kisses over her underwear. As he inched the cotton down, she wove her hands into his hair and gasped "Draco!"

He pushed her backwards onto the bed and pulled her knees apart. Diving into the deepest part of her, he felt her tremble as she flooded him with her essence. Not being able to stand it any longer, Draco rose and quickly shed his clothes.

Settling between her legs, he hesitated saying "Ginny. I don't want to hurt you."

She smiled and reached up to pull him closer. "You won't hurt me Draco."

He felt her hips arch towards him and he couldn't hold back any longer. He plunged into her and when he felt the warm enveloping velvet that he knew as Ginny, he nearly came right then.

After stilling for a moment to collect himself, he began to move slowly. With each rhythmic movement, Ginny met him halfway with her hips. Her gasps were soft but music to his ears, and then she cried, "Oh Draco, I can't hold on any longer!"

When Draco felt her muscles contract around him, he exploded. Calling out her name, his release came rushing from him. Afterward, he rolled over to her side and pulled her close to him. For a while, they laid together, her head on his shoulder, him stroking her hair. He could have almost cried with relief. She was here. In his arms.

Ginny drifted off and Draco gazed at her sleeping face for quite a while. He didn't understand what had happened, but he didn't dare question it, for fear he might wake up and it had all been a dream.

After a while, he eased out of the bed, pulled on the wrinkled pants he'd abandoned earlier on the floor, and returned to the living room. A couple of hours later, Ginny found him there, with his guitar, strumming softly and humming.

Coming up behind him, she put a hand on his shoulder. He smiled and leaned back into her standing form. "Hello love. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, " said Ginny, leaning forward to wrap her arms around his neck from behind. "I woke up and you weren't there so I came looking for you. I hope you don't mind that I borrowed your shirt. My nightgown is wrecked."

"I think my shirts never looked so good on me." He said, nuzzling her neck.

"What's that you were playing? A new song?" she asked.

"Just a tune that came to me. I can't seem to get it out of my head but I can't seem to quite finish it either. It'll come I guess." Draco put the guitar down and reached around to pull Ginny into his lap. "Ginny. We should talk."

Ginny sighed and looked down into her lap." I guess your right. I just don't know where to start."

"Well, I'm just going to put this out there, on the table, so you know. I love you. I want you. I need you. "Draco said, tightening his hold around her momentarily.

"I love you too Draco." Ginny said, "But it's not so simple anymore."

"But why not? Why isn't it that simple? If we love each other…." Draco watched Ginny's hand go to her stomach. "Is it because of the baby? Ginny, I don't care about that. I'll take care of you both. I'll love it like its mine, because it's yours, and anything that is a part of you I have to love. And if you think Finnigan will kick up a fuss, I'll go to him myself and tell him we won't keep him from his child. I would never do that. If there was one bright spot for me during this whole fiasco, it was the baby Isolde was carrying when I thought it was mine. I was really excited. I think it'd be wonderful to have one in the house."

Ginny saw her chance. She opened her mouth to tell him that the baby was his, to tell him the whole sordid truth but Draco kept talking.

"I mean, what sort of a woman does that? She lied to me, but worse than that, she's lied to some man out there. He's got a kid coming into the world and he didn't even know. It's the most despicable thing I could even imagine. I told her she needed to go find the father. If I were the guy, when I found out, I'd take the baby and toss her into the streets where she belongs."

"I don't know Draco. There is going to be a baby. Maybe he'll forgive her. Give her a second chance, you know?" she said, gazing at him.

"There is no second chance for someone who tries to hide a child from a parent." The look in Draco's eyes was chilling. Ginny was sure she'd seen it only one other time in her life. That was the night he had dragged Blaise Zabini off of her at the dance so many years ago. There was no room for forgiveness in his heart.

Ginny bit her lip. Obviously, telling Draco would only make the situation worse. She didn't think she could live with him hating her, and she certainly couldn't let him take her baby away when it was born as he had just said he would do if he found out she'd lied to him. She also couldn't marry Draco and allow him to continue to believe that the child was Seamus'. She didn't think it was a lie she could tell everyday for the rest of her life. And yet she didn't want to raise her baby without a father. Ginny realized suddenly that she hadn't thought things through enough before she'd come running over here. She'd only made the situation worse, because she understood now that she couldn't stay. She had to go back home and back to Seamus.

Draco noticed that Ginny had gotten very quiet. Putting a hand under her chin and lifting her face to look into his he asked, "What are you thinking love? It's ok. You can tell me."

If only I could, Ginny thought, then said, tears beginning to spill, "I can't stay Draco."

His face fell and he searched her eyes. "Why not?"

"Because it wouldn't be fair. Not to Seamus, not to you, not to the baby. I'm sorry. I wanted to, I came here thinking I could, but now I realize that I can't. It would be wrong." She said, wiping tears away.

"Ginny." He ground out, trying to keep his composure. "You have to stay. I can't stand for you not to. I love you Ginny. And you love me. We have to be together."

She rose from his lap and walked to the other side of the room, eyes blurry with tears, and just shook her head.

Desperate now, he followed her, gripping her upper arms tightly, and spun her around to face him. "Don't you understand?" he spat at her, his fear and anger all mixed together. "I can't live like this. I can't live each day wondering if I might see you on the street, or we might run into each other. I die inside every time. I can't move on, I don't want to. Ginny, PLEASE…" he begged, hating himself for sounding so desperate, hating the tears that were beginning to fall from his eyes as well.

"OH!" Ginny cried, seeing his tears and throwing her arms around him. He smashed his mouth down on hers with a force that threatened to bruise. They made love on the floor of his living room, tears mixing with sweat, desperation mixing with desire, love mixing with misery and pain. When it was over, Draco moved them back to the bed and clung to Ginny as if his very life depended on never letting her go. He tried to force himself to stay awake, so he would not waste the time they had left before she left him again but eventually his eyes refused to stay open any longer.

Ginny gazed at the beautiful sleeping man beside her and reached a hand out to stroke his hair. "I love you so much Draco Malfoy. I'm so sorry." She whispered. Then, shedding more silent tears, she slipped from the bed and was gone.


	8. Chapter 8

Ginny didn't do what everyone expected her to do. They all expected she'd call off the engagement with Seamus. They all expected her to go to Draco immediately with news of the baby. They all expected things to go back to the way they had been before, with their little sister happy and energetic again, and the tall blonde man to be a regular fixture at the burrow.

But what happened instead was that Ginny once more retreated from life. She went back to her room. She didn't talk to anyone, not Bill, not Charlie, not the twins, not Percy. Not even Ron when he banged on her door for half a day, begging her to come out, yell, scream, hit him, hex him, anything, just come out. Harry too, spent the better part of a day at Ginny's door, begging her to talk to him, to anyone. Hermione tried, Molly tried, Arthur tried. But for five days, Ginny never once came out of her room except to scurry to the bathroom, or into the kitchen to gather food and take back up to her room.

"At least she's eating." Arthur said.

"Yes, but did you see her?" Molly asked, worriedly. "She looks awful."

Ginny did look awful. Black circles under her eyes, nearly paper white skin, the red eyes and nose, all told of someone in misery.

It was finally Seamus who brought her around. He stood at her door and called to her.

"Ginny? I know you're in there. You don't have to say anything Gin, just listen, ok? I don't know what to do, Gin. I don't know if the engagement is off, or if you still want to marry me. Arrangements have to be made Ginny, and I can't make them till you tell me what you want to do? Can you just think about it Ginny? Think about it and let me know?" he said softly, laying his forehead on the door. "I love you lass. Whatever you want is what we'll do."

Seamus, as well as Hermione, Harry and Ron, who were standing in the hallway behind him, were surprised when the door suddenly creaked open. A red eyed, sniffling Ginny peeped around the door at him.

"Do YOU still want to marry me Seamus? " she asked.

"Gin, lass, of course I do." He said, smiling at her and opening his arms.

Ginny hesitated only a moment then went into them, resting her head on his chest. "Then we will. But, would you do something for me?"

"Anything love. What is it?" he said, kissing the top of her red head.

"Will you take me away, Seamus? Far away from here? Can you and I, and the baby go away and never come back?" she asked, looking up at him pleadingly.

Seamus looked surprised but then said, "If it's what you want lass. I've family house in Ireland. I'm sure my parents would be happy to turn it over to us. It's been empty for quite some time."

"Ireland." Ginny said, dreamily." Yes, that would be fine. Thank you Seamus. I'm going to wash my face now. I'll be down in a few minutes."

Seamus, Ron and Harry went down the stairs, happy to have finally gotten Ginny out of her room. Hermione though, noticed the glazed quality of Ginny's eyes, and the strange blank look on her face, and stayed behind. She followed Ginny to the bathroom and as she washed her face, Hermione said, "Ginny, do you think moving to Ireland is the answer?"

"I think it's a lovely idea. Don't you?" Ginny said.

"Well actually, "said Hermione, "No. I don't. I think the right thing to do would be to call off this marriage to Seamus because you don't love him. I think the right thing to do would be to tell Draco that he's about to become a father."

Ginny looked up and met Hermione's eyes in the mirror. There was a look there that Hermione recognized as a mixture of defeat, resignation, and resolution. "I can't tell Draco now Hermione. Don't you get it? It doesn't matter what the truth is anymore. I lied. He won't understand. It won't make a difference in things now."

"You can't know that Gin. And does it really matter whether it makes a difference or not? It's the right thing to do." Said Hermione.

"I DO know Hermione. I know Draco better than anyone, and I know how he will react to a lie as big as this. And I can't say as I blame him. And yes, it matters if it makes a difference or not. It's very easy for you to judge what the right thing is, but step into my shoes for a moment. I have a baby to think of. God knows if I didn't, I'd still be in that room, or worse. But there is a baby. Draco will never marry me now. He'll hate me if he finds out about all this. I'd deserve it. But I don't believe that raising a child with a man that detests you is all that good for the child. So, I'll go on with my plans and marry Seamus. Seamus knows I don't love him. But he's still willing. And I will be a good wife to him. I will." Ginny said determinedly.

"And moving away?" Hermione asked. "It's going to destroy your mum. None of them want you to leave Gin."

"Mum will understand." Ginny said, looking back down. "I have to leave Hermione. I can't face him again. I can't take a chance I might run into him on the street or at some party. I have to move on and the only way to do that is to get away. It's the only way for him too. He'll find someone else if I'm not around to remind him. I love him too much to let him continue suffering at every sight of me."

Hermione said nothing. She turned and went down the stairs with Ginny. The Weasleys were all too happy to have Ginny back to semi-normal again, and too afraid to question her decisions. They all gathered round the kitchen table and Molly bustled at the stove to get something going to feed them all. Hermione observed them for a few moments, then reached a decision in her mind. She slipped quietly over to Ron.

"I have to go out for a bit. I'll be back soon, ok?" she said.

Ron turned from his family and asked, "Where you off to love? Can't it wait?"

"No, "she said, shaking her head. "But I won't be long, I promise. Look after Grange for me, please."

"Sure." He said, kissing her cheek. "Hurry back."

Hermione smiled at him then flung her cloak over her shoulders and apperated out of the burrow.

She found Draco easily enough at his apartment. He saw it was her and opened the door to let her in. "Granger, what in the world did I do to rate a visit from you?"

Hermione surveyed Draco. The normally groomed-to-a-tee man was completely disheveled. His clothes were untucked and wrinkled, his hair was a mess, there were dark circles under his eyes and he looked like he might fall down from exhaustion at any moment. It was unsettling to see Malfoy this way.

"Malfoy, I have some things to tell you. You better sit down." She said, and taking a deep breath, began to tell him the story Isolde had told her.

Draco's face grew stormy. "You mean to tell me, I never even slept with her?"

"Not according her. " Hermione said. "She spelled the fire whiskey, got you to the night club, had that wretched Rita Skeeter take your picture, then drug you home. She planted the underwear, and waited, like Ron told her to."

"And that day in Diagon Alley?" he asked.

"Bill told Ron about owling you to let you know where Ginny would be. Ron was prepared. He just flooed Isolde and told her what to do. Her getting pregnant afterward was her idea though; Ron swears he had nothing to do with that."

"No offense, Granger, but I'm going to kill your husband." Growled Draco.

Hermione sighed and said, "Don't think I didn't consider it myself. Try not to hurt him too badly Draco. Your godson needs his father."

"I need to tell Ginny all this. Maybe it will make a difference in things somehow." He said, pacing the room.

"Ginny already knows." Said Hermione.

Draco stopped pacing. "She knows? That must be why. She came to see me that night. I thought at first she had decided to stay, to call the marriage to Finnigan off…."

"She came to see you? The night she disappeared she was here? You can't imagine how we've all wondered what happened to her that night. She came back the next morning, went straight to her room and wouldn't come out for almost a week. Even with Ron begging her to come out and hit him." Hermione said. "What happened that night Draco? Something must have, because she completely melted down after that."

"I don't know. She came, we…we made love. I started talking to her about staying with me, and she seemed responsive at first." Draco ran a hand through his hair. "Then I told her that I would take care of her and Finnegan's baby, and she did a complete turn around. I begged, but she said she was going to marry him anyway."

Hermione grew still at the mention of the baby. "Draco, did you say anything derogatory about Isolde lying about the baby?"

"Yes, I said what an awful unforgivable thing it was to have a baby and keep it a man that he was the father. Why would that have any effect on Ginny?" Draco asked.

"Sit down Draco." Said Hermione. "There's something else you should know. Ginny's baby….it's not Seamus'. Ginny's seven and a half months along."

Draco frowned. "But that can't be right. If she were that far along, the baby would be…..OH MY GOD, Hermione? Is Ginny's baby mine?"

Hermione nodded. She watched as Draco's face went from shock to joy to anger. It was the anger that worried her. She knew Draco, and was quite fond of him, but he was stubborn as a mule and if he decided he had been wronged, even by Ginny, he would seek retribution.

"No wonder she wouldn't stay here that night. She lied! Lied to me! About something like that! How could she? Why? WHY would she do that?" he ranted.

"Draco, calm down, please." Hermione said, laying a hand on his arm. "She didn't know she was pregnant at first. By the time she found out, Isolde had moved in here and she thought the two of you would be getting married. She didn't know what to do."

"DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO???" he said, shaking Hermione's hand off and glaring at her. "I'll tell you what she SHOULD have done. She should have told me. For god's sake, I LOVED her!"

"Don't you love her still Draco?" asked Hermione. She wondered worriedly if she had just made the situation worse. But she still felt Draco had a right to know about his child. And once everyone involved knew all the facts, this situation could reach some closure, and good or bad, and an end was needed. "Because if you do, you need to do something and soon. Seamus and Ginny are getting married next week, and Seamus is taking Ginny to Ireland, for good."

Draco sneered at the question. "How could I not?" he asked. And with that he stalked out the door, leaving Hermione staring after him.


	9. Chapter 9

By the time Hermione got back to the burrow to collect her husband and son, Draco was already there and in heated debate with Ron over whether or not he would be coming in to see Ginny.

"I suggest that you stand aside Weasley. I WILL speak to Ginny, even if I have to go through you to do it." Draco snarled at Ron.

"Now you listen to me Malfoy. You'll not come in this house with that sort of attitude. Someone will get hurt and I don't intend for it to be my sister." Ron said, bristling.

"Well, we can arrange for it to be YOU Weasel, instead." Said Draco, arching an eyebrow. "After all, it's not like I don't owe you a little something, messing about in my life as you have lately."

Ron blanched a bit, but did not back down. "I'm not sure I didn't do the right thing anyway Ferret. After all, what sort of father would you make anyway, considering who you had to learn from?"

Hermione flinched as she saw Draco's fist sail through the air to land squarely on her husband's nose. Blood flew from Ron's nose as his head snapped backwards. Regaining his balance, he went at Draco full force. The two men fell to the floor of the porch, fists flying. Bill, Charlie and the twins rushed to pull the two men apart.

Ron wiped the blood from his nose and said "Ok, Malfoy, I probably deserved that one. And I'll be man enough to admit I made a mistake when I interfered with you and Ginny. Call us even. But I swear to god man, if you go in there and she ends up in her room for a week again, I'll be coming for your head."

Draco sneered as he snatched away from Bill and Fred. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Draco strode into the house and looked for Ginny.

"She's in the kitchen." Bill said, laying a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Go easy as you can my friend."

"Like she's been on me?" he asked Bill, pinning him with a steely look.

Draco stalked into the kitchen to survey Ginny sitting in a chair at the table with Seamus standing beside her. He straightened when saw Draco enter the room.

"Malfoy." He said, nodding.

"Finnigan." Draco said, "I need a word with Ginny."

"Malfoy, I don't think-"Seamus started.

"I frankly don't give a Merlin's hex what you think Finnigan. I want to speak to Ginny and you ARE going to leave the room." Draco spat out.

"I don't think I'll be taking orders from you Malfoy, especially concerning my fiancée. "The word made Draco smirk, but Seamus forged on. "I will leave, if that's what Ginny wants. Otherwise, you're stuck with me."

Draco stepped close to Seamus. "I don't think you want to toy with me when I'm angry Finnigan. And I'm VERY VERY angry right now."

"I'm not afraid of you Malfoy. And I don't intend to abandon Ginny." Seamus said, facing Draco right back.

"Seamus. " Ginny said, speaking up finally. "It's alright really. Draco needs to say some things, and I think it'd be best just to get it over with."

"Are you sure lass?" Seamus asked, concern in his eyes. Ginny nodded. "Alright then. I'll just be in the other room. Don't hesitate to call if you need me." He leaned down to kiss her and Draco felt his fists curl up again. The urge to beat the man to a bloody pulp was almost overwhelming.

Seamus left the room finally, and Ginny stood to face Draco. She could see the barely contained violence in his face and stance. She took a deep breath and said, "I see you've discovered my little secret."

"Your secret? Is that what it is? Just a little secret? How about a LIE Ginny? How about an atrocious, unforgivable LIE?" he spat at her, hands still clenched at his sides.

Ginny flinched and said, "I never meant to lie to you Draco. Believe me. I wanted to tell you the truth."

"Then why didn't you? It would have been so easy. Just 'Draco, I've found out some wonderful news.' Don't you know I'd have been overjoyed? Don't you know how happy I would have been? Months and months you had to tell me. Ron may have meddled in our business and cause a big mess, but it all could have been solved Ginny. All you had to do was TELL ME!" Draco bellowed.

"I couldn't. I didn't want to complicate things for you when Isolde was there. Then when I found out the truth, it was too late. The lie was already told and I knew you'd react like this if I told you." Ginny cried.

"Obviously, even after all these years, you still know nothing at all about me princess. If you did, you'd have had a little faith in me from the beginning of this whole thing. I may be an ass Ginny, but I loved you. Completely. I'd never ever betray you. I knew that in my heart, and I kept telling you that, but you were so sure, you even convinced me that your brother's little plot was the truth. I berated myself for months, thinking I'd desecrated our relationship, when all along I never even slept with that trollop! Then to top it all off with trying to pass off MY child as another mans….Maybe I don't know you either." Draco said.

Ginny gasped. He'd never know how hard he'd hit the nail on the head. She'd thought the very same things in the past few days. She hadn't believed in him.

"Ok, Draco, you can blame this all on me if you like. I can shoulder the burden. The question is, what are we going to do about it now?" she asked.

"Well, I'll tell you what _we're_ going to do. We're going to have a baby. You will not keep my child from me. I will be involved. I will be notified of your midwitch appointments, and I will attend. I will provide for any financial needs you may have concerning the child." Draco said.

"I don't need your money!" Ginny cried, offended now. "I make a perfectly good salary as a medi witch. I am capable of taking care of this baby. And Seamus-"

"Ah, there we've hit upon a subject now. Seamus. Understand me now, Ginny. Seamus Finnigan is not, nor ever will be the father of this child. And I won't have him acting as one. Is that clear?" Draco said, narrowing his eyes at Ginny.

"Draco, don't think you can come in this house dictating to me what I can or can not do with my child-"

"OUR child, Ginny. Our child." Draco interrupted. "And you need not think you'll be taking off for Ireland. I can't stop you from marrying the git, but you won't be running off to another country with my son or daughter."

"You don't tell me what to do Draco Malfoy!" Ginny yelled. "I'll take MY baby where ever I please, and you can't stop me! And what's more, I'll teach him or her to call Seamus Daddy if it suits me!"

Ginny knew she was crossing the line when it came out of her mouth but she couldn't stop herself. Draco came across the kitchen and grabbed her by the arms tightly. Drawing her up, so they were nose to nose, in that silky voice that meant he was close to losing his temper he said, "You've no idea how lucky you are to pregnant right now. If you weren't I might rethink my policy on violence against women. Don't push me any more Ginny."

Ginny struggled in his grasp, trying to get away, and wondering how things had gotten so out of control. She cried out in pain and Draco loosened his hold on her and for one fleeting second she saw a glimmer of feeling in his eyes. She attempted to grasp on to that, and approached from a different angle.

"Draco lets not fight. We're having a baby. You loved me once. Can't we work this out?" she said, pleadingly, sinking to the floor in front of him. "I love you Draco. I always have, despite everything."

Draco's look softened for only a moment when she said she loved him, but then the hardness filled his eyes again and he sneered at her. "If what's happened in the last few months is an example of your love, _Princess, _I think I could do without it. I think we're done here. Contact me when you have your next appointment. And remember what I said. If you try to leave the country, I'll find you, and I'll take what's mine back home with me."

With a final look at the red haired woman on the floor crying, he turned and strode out.


	10. Chapter 10

Two weeks later, Draco received an owl from Ginny, giving him the time and date of her next midwitch appointment. Draco met her at the office. As Ginny and the midwitch went through the normal question and answer session about how she was feeling, if she'd had any pain, etc, etc, Draco began to wonder what he was doing there. Then something interesting happened.

Ginny had been sitting on the table, in the obligatory thin gown, when Draco saw her stomach _ripple._ "OH!" Ginny exclaimed, rubbing her belly.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, half rising from his chair looking concerned.

Both Ginny and the midwitch turned to stare at him. Laughing at the look on his face, the midwitch laughed. "No Mr. Malfoy, you've just seen your son or daughter move. Did a good flip by the looks of things."

"That happens…often?" he asked, looking at Ginny.

"Gods, yes." Ginny replied, rolling her eyes. "This one wants to be an acrobat when they grow up. Moves constantly."

Draco stared hard at her stomach, wanting to see it again.

Ginny gazed speculatively at him a moment and then said, "Draco? Would you care to feel it? I've found if I put my hand in one spot for a few moments, the baby will kick that spot. I guess it gets warm or something."

Draco looked up at her. "Could I? I mean, you wouldn't mind?"

Ginny smiled tentatively at him and beckoned him closer. Draco approached the table and raised his hand, but didn't quite know where to put it. Ginny took his hand and placed it firmly on her stomach. They waited a few moments, and Draco was about to give up and take his hand away when he felt it. A little nudge on his hand. Then it came again. By the gods! He thought.

"That-that was the baby?" he asked her. She nodded. "It felt quite strong."

"You should try feeling it from inside your stomach!" Ginny laughed. Then the baby did a roll across Ginny's womb and Draco's hand bounced along with it. A smile came across his face. This was HIS child. His child with Ginny. He looked up with light dancing in his eyes at the red haired woman. She smiled at him. All at once Draco forgot all the things that had happened in the last few months and wanted nothing more than to kiss the mother of his child. He would have too, had the midwitch not stuck her head back into the room to tell Ginny she could get dressed.

Ginny looked up at Draco and an awkward moment filled the room. Draco took his hand off Ginny's abdomen and backed away. Ginny sighed, and gathered up her clothes. As they were leaving the office, Draco caught up her left hand and looked at it then up at Ginny.

"Where's your wedding band?"

"I didn't marry Seamus, Draco. It wouldn't have been fair. "she said.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because I didn't love him Draco. I was going to marry him, to give the baby a father, and to give you the chance to move on. All that changed. I couldn't saddle him with a wife that loved someone else and a child who would never call him father." She said, looking down.

"I see." He said. He released her hand and walked away quickly, leaving her standing there on the sidewalk.

As he walked, his mind was traveling a mile a minute. Ginny didn't marry Finnigan. Ginny had implied she loved him still. He had felt his baby move. He wanted his child, more than anything. But did he want Ginny anymore? He just didn't know.

Making a sudden decision, Draco turned on heel and walked back to where Ginny was standing. "I'm performing tonight."

"In the orchestra?" she asked.

"No, in a little club on Diagon Alley. My own stuff. Would you like to come?"

"Draco, how wonderful. Yes, I'd love to. Tell me the name, I'll be there." She said, smiling.

Draco gave her the relevant information and they parted. He wondered why he had done it all afternoon. The knot in his stomach seemed to grow as the hours wore on.

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Ginny walked into the little club that night and sat down at the table the man at the door instructed her to. A waitress brought her a glass of water and she settled in to people watch a bit till Draco's show started.

Draco and his band came on stage and started out with several cover songs. Then Draco said he wanted to play some of his original work for them. He played many songs that Ginny recognized as things he'd worked on in the past when they were together. Then he spoke softly into the microphone and said, "This one is one I just finished up. I'd like to give the credit for it to a princess I know.

You were wrong  
You were right  
You are gone  
Tonight  
You were free  
So alive  
You were wrong  
You were right  
You were down  
You could see  
You wore hearts for me  
You were sharp  
Sharp as knives  
You were wrong  
You were right

Shot down… said you never had the chance  
Took a ride on a suicide romance  
Could have sworn there was somebody home  
To facilitate the great unknown  
Woman, I ain't going to meet you anywhere  
Don't know where I'm going yet…  
But I sure am getting there  
Shotgun fire… anybody home  
I got two dimes in the telephone  
Alright…  
It's not easy tonight

You were bound  
You were free  
You wear black for me  
You were dark  
Dark as night  
You were wrong  
You were right

Shot down… said you never had the chance  
Took a ride on a suicide romance  
Could have sworn there was somebody home  
To facilitate the great unknown  
But woman, I ain't going to meet you anywhere  
Don't know where I'm going yet…But I sure am getting there

Shotgun fire… anybody home  
I got two dimes in the telephone  
Alright… It's not easy tonight

She's in.  
Over my head…and it's not easy it's not easy tonight

Shotgun fire… anybody home  
I got two dimes in the telephone  
Alright… It's not easy tonight

You were free…  
Now your not…  
You were free

The band took a break then, and Ginny looked up, expecting Draco to come to her table and at least say hello. He was talking to a lovely blond woman that had come out of the crowd. Draco didn't even look her way. Ginny watched glumly as the pretty woman ran her hand down the front of Draco's shirt, fingers stopping to play with a button. She must have been insane to even imagine that Draco had been trying to extend a hand of reconciliation with his invite. It was probably just out of his overblown sense of propriety and he was probably not expecting her to actually show up.

Ginny was staring morosely down into her water glass when a familiar voice filled her ears. "Ginny, Lass, what are you doing here?"

Ginny looked up into the smiling face of Seamus Finnigan. "Seamus!" she said, smiling back.

Seamus leaned down and kissed Ginny's cheek. Though bitterly disappointed when Ginny had called off the wedding, he harbored no ill will. He had known in his heart from the very beginning that it likely would end this way. He noticed the forlorn look on Ginny's face. "What's wrong love?"

"Nothing really. I just thought- "Ginny said, looking back at the stage to see both Draco and the blond woman had disappeared. "Well, it doesn't matter what I though. Seamus, would you be wonderful enough to take me home?"

"Of course Gin. Don't you know that's who I am? The wonderful Seamus Finnigan?" he said, extending his arm to Ginny as she laughed.

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Draco was extremely annoyed. He'd been on his way to the table Ginny was at when Desdemona had waylaid him. Desdemona was a member of the orchestra and hadn't seemed to have gotten through her head that Draco wasn't interested in her attention.

"Draco" she purred prettily as she trailed a hand down his chest. "That was simply wonderful. Who is this princess? What color hair does she have? It isn't blond by any chance is it?"

Draco glanced over his shoulder to where Ginny sat. His level of frustration rose to see her smiling up at someone. Finnigan! Peeling Desdemona's hand from his chest he said, "Actually Des, her hair is red. Now, if you'll excuse me."

"Draco!" shouted a man from the side of the stage.

"Yes, Scott? What is it?" Draco sighed.

"We've a problem with the equipment."

"Can't you handle it?" Draco asked, scowling as he saw Finnigan kiss Ginny's cheek.

"I think you'd better come take a look."

"Very well, "Draco said, moving past the blond woman with one last glance in Ginny's direction.

When he'd solved the problem backstage, Draco hurried out to at least speak to Ginny before the second set started. He saw her table was empty and thought maybe she had gone to the bar for a drink or to the restroom. He waited by her table while he scanned the crowd. After five minutes he had to admit defeat. She was gone. And Finnigan wasn't in the bar anymore either.

So much for any ridiculous notions he'd entertained about reconciliations.

Three days later, Bill invited Draco to lunch. Draco seriously considered saying no but Bill and he had become good friends and he admired the man tremendously.

"So, I was pretty surprised you let Ginny go." Said Bill, munching on a steak.

"What was I supposed to do? She lied to me. Obviously she didn't want me or she'd have told me about the baby?" said Draco.

"Yes, but I meant that you let her go away." Said Bill.

Draco looked up in alarm. "Go away? Where?"

Bill looked astounded. "To Ireland with Seamus. Oh, mum tried to stop her, with the baby being so close and all, but she wouldn't hear of it. Draco, I thought you knew. She said she'd just come from seeing you and you weren't interested in what she did at all."

His chair fell over as Draco stood suddenly. "I'm sorry Bill; I'm going to have to cut this short."

"Where are you going?" called Bill as Draco hurried away.

"To find a run away witch." Draco said.


	11. Chapter 11

Ginny had been in Ireland for three days. Seamus had taken her to the countryside and it was wonderful. For just little while she'd been able to forget Draco, and all their troubles and just _be._

Then on the fourth day, a pounding came to the door of the Finnigan house. Ginny had known, even before he came striding in with a house elf trailing behind him telling him he couldn't, that it was Draco.

Draco had stood over her as she lounged on the couch and glowered. "Get your things together now."

Seamus had leapt up from his seat and said "See here Malfoy, you can't just barge into my house and tell Ginny what to do."

Draco stalked over to put his face inches from Seamus'. "Finnigan, you're a nice enough fellow. I like you, I always have since the war, but I'm going to have to insist that you don't interfere with what's going on between Ginny and I. It wouldn't be good for your health."

"Draco, I don't want to go back!" Ginny said, standing, hands on hips.

Draco spun around to face her. "You may do whatever you like after my child is born. Until that time, I won't have you traipsing about from country to country with men like a little trollop!"

That was when Seamus grabbed Draco by the arm, swinging him back around to face him and landed a fist to his face. Draco immediately swung back and an all out fist fight ensued. Ginny and the little house elf both stood in horror as the two men went at each other. Seamus pulled out his wand and chanted a hex that Ginny couldn't quite make out, but Draco ducked it and in a now blind rage, pulled out his own wand. After hitting Seamus with a binding spell, he went in for the kill.

Ginny leapt (as much as she was able to leap with an 8 month pregnant belly) in front of Seamus and cried, "Please Draco, don't hurt him! It's not his fault."

When he noticed her hand in her pocket, no doubt clutching her wand, Draco felt his anger drain from him abruptly replaced by a feeling he barely recognized as distress. Ginny had only done that one time before. To protect him. From his father. Draco wasn't sure whether he was upset because Ginny had given Finnigan the same consideration as she did him, or if it was because she was moved to treat him as the same sort of threat she treated his father as.

"Forget your things, we'll send for them later. We're leaving now." He spat out at her as he took her upper arm and guided her towards the door. Ginny went along quietly. In fact she didn't utter another word till they were seated on the train to go back home. The she said only one word.

"Why?" she asked, but Draco knew exactly what she meant.

He looked out the window for a moment, then turned to her and said, "I told you if you tried to leave I would come and take back what was mine." And Ginny was horrified at the cold dark look in his gray eyes.

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Draco gazed at Ginny as she slept. She had fallen asleep after the first thirty minutes or so on the train, and gradually her head and fell onto his shoulder. He had eased her down, laying her head in his lap and he sat now, stroking her hair and gazing at her peaceful face.

She had asked him why and she hadn't had to say anymore for him to know what she meant. He had asked himself the very same thing, half a dozen times on the train to get her. The answer still wasn't completely clear to him. He hadn't intended to let her take the baby away, that was true, but it was something more too. Truth be told, while he was angry at Ginny, and resented what she had done, he didn't want her to be that far away either. Even if they weren't meant to be together, he wanted her where he could look at her. Speak to her, touch her hand, if he wanted to. He wanted her close. Of course, he wasn't quite willing to admit that, not to her or himself, but it was true. He convinced himself it was just simply in the best interests of his child to keep its mother where he could monitor her actions and let it go at that.

Draco escorted Ginny home to the burrow and left with only a curt nod to Bill. He didn't see or hear from Ginny for about three weeks after that. Then one day, Harry showed up on his doorstep.

"Potter." Draco said, "What are you doing here?"

"Malfoy, you need to come with me. Ginny's having the baby!" Harry said breathlessly.

For a moment, Harry saw Draco's eyes light up. Quickly though, the light was shuttered and the hard, cold look Draco had carried for months now, replaced it.

"I assume she's at St Mungo's?" Harry nodded. "Very well, I'll be along soon. I have some business to finish up here. I'm sure she doesn't need my help. Nor want it probably."

Draco turned to go retreat back inside his apartment when Harry put a hand out to grasp his shoulder. "Draco, you need to come now. Ginny's not doing well. The midwitch says she might not make it."

Draco turned to look at Harry with narrowed eyes. His mind simply wouldn't allow him to process what Potter was really saying so he said, "Not going to make it? Well, she doesn't have much of a choice, does she? The baby will come whether she wants it to or not. Or will the midwitch take it? What will that involve? Surgery? Is there any risk to the child for that? Or the mother?" Draco realized he was babbling.

Harry pushed Draco down into the chair he was standing in front of. He leaned in very close to Draco's face and looked into his eyes. "Draco, you have to listen to me now. We're not talking about Ginny not being able to deliver the baby. I'm saying to you that Ginny may not make it. She's probably going to _die_, Draco. The midwitch isn't giving us much hope. Poppy Pomfrey is there and even she says things don't look well. If you care for Ginny at all, you need to come. _Now."_

Harry watched as what he was trying to say finally sunk into the blond mans head. "Oh dear God.' Draco whispered.

"Will you come with me now?" Harry asked, holding out the portkey that would take them both back to the hospital. Draco nodded and the two men apparated with a pop.

In the hospital waiting room, Draco surveyed the Weasley family. Molly, in tears, was sitting in a chair in the corner, Arthur sitting beside her stroking her hand trying to console and reassure her. Bill, Charlie, and the twins were standing off to one side of the room, faces grim and silent. Percy sat, chewing on the end of a pencil, obviously trying to do paperwork, but the look on his face, and lack of writing on the sheet of paper he was holding, told Draco that he hadn't been able to get much done. Fleur Delacourt, Bills girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater Weasley, Percy's wife, The Patil twins (he could never tell which was which), the twins fiancées, Cho Chang and Hermione all sat at various points around the room, all looking worried. Ron paced the floor.

Just then, Poppy Pomfrey came out of the double doors at one side of the room. Molly jumped up and the other Weasley clan members clustered around her. Draco moved close enough to hear but a little apart from the group.

"I wish I had better news. The baby's already moved into the birth canal, that means we can't take it. Ginny is hemorrhaging badly. I'm just not sure we can save them both." Said Poppy.

Molly burst into a new flood of tears. Ron swore under his breath. Draco stepped forward. "Madame Pomfrey."

"Yes Draco?" she looked at him.

"May I see Ginny?"

Poppy looked at him speculatively for a moment. "It is your child. And Ginny has asked if you were here yet. You promise not to upset her? She can't handle it right now, and Draco, I warn you, if you do, I'll toss you out on your ear."

Draco nodded his head in acceptance of the rules and followed Poppy back through the double doors.

The sight in the delivery room was a bit more than Draco anticipated. There were several nurses darting here and there in the room, the midwitch and Madame Pomfrey, all clustered around Ginny, who was lying with her knees drawn up on a hospital bed.

Ginny's face was covered with sweat and her hair was plastered to her head, although it was quite cool in the room. Her face screwed up suddenly and as she cried out in pain, Draco watched with alarm as a bright red stain spread across the sheet that covered her legs.

"Should she be bleeding like that?" he asked Madame Pomfrey.

"No, she shouldn't. But every time she pushes she pumps out more blood and she must push to get the baby out." Said Poppy, hurrying over to Ginny.

"Draco?" Ginny called, between breaths and pushes.

Draco came over to the side of the bed. "Yes, Ginny?"

"I- oh- I picked out names for the baby-AHH-I-hope- you don't mind. If it's a girl-ohhhhhhhh-I'd like to call her Carina-and a boy-------Orion." She panted.

"Constellation names." Draco said quietly.

"Like their father's" Ginny ground out through another pain. "Is that ----ok?"

Draco took Ginny's hand. "You can name the baby anything you want to princess."

Ginny looked up in surprise at the nickname. But before she could answer, a hard pain hit her and Poppy Pomfrey shouted to push and Ginny did. This time, the bloom of blood was three times the size of the ones before and it sent all the other people in the room into a frenzy.

Poppy looked up from her place at the end of the bed and said to Draco. "I'm sorry Draco, but a decision must be made. Ginny will die if she hemorrhages like that again. We can either save her or save the child."

Draco never hesitated when he said "Save Ginny."

Ginny cried out "NO! NO! Don't you dare Poppy! You save my baby! Don't you dare!"

Poppy looked at Ginny, "But Ginny, there will be other babies. You have to!"

"No, no I don't have to. I know my rights. You can't do that, no matter what anyone else says, as long as I am coherent to make the decision its mine to make. Save my baby!"

Poppy Pomfrey went slowly back to the bottom of the bed. "Alright then Ginny, give it one more good push and let's see if we can't give this little person life."

Draco clung to Ginny's hand in horror as the blood dripped off the side of the bed and onto the floor as Ginny put every last ounce of strength she had in the final push. Though it seemed like endless hours, seconds later, Poppy cried, "I've got her. It's a girl!"

Draco turned, smiling, to look at Ginny. Slowly the smile dissipated and the blood drained from his face. Ginny had collapsed back onto the bed unconscious and her breathing was shallow and barely discernable.

Poppy Pomfrey passed the baby to a nurse who bustled it out of the room and shoved him as she sped around to the side of the bed. "MOVE DRACO! MOVE!" She and the midwitch huddled over Ginny, chanting spells Draco could barely understand. For fifteen minutes the two women worked over Ginny as Draco looked on.

The midwitch cried "Her blood pressure is still dropping Madame Pomfrey, and her respiration is slowing. I don't know what else to do!"

Poppy Pomfrey let her wand fall to the floor and hung her head in defeat.

"You aren't giving up?" Draco said. "She's still alive. There's still a chance."

"There's nothing more to be done. I'm so sorry Draco." Said Poppy Pomfrey.

Draco threw himself down on his knees beside Ginny's bed and grasped her slack hand.

"Ginny, please." He said softly. "Ginny, you have to come back. Carina needs her mother. How can a little girl grow up without a mother Ginny? You can't leave her……You can't leave _me_, Ginny. You asked me why on the train from Ireland. The reason why is because I can't live without you Ginny. I love you. Please Ginny, come back to me. Please." Tears fell from his face and onto Ginny's hand.

Draco searched her face desperately for any sign of life. Then suddenly, he felt her hand tighten on his, just for a moment. He jumped to his feet and went to Madame Pomfrey.

"Try again." He said.

"There isn't any point. We've-"Madame Pomfrey began but Draco took her by the shoulders and gave the woman a shake.

"TRY AGAIN!" he roared.

Madame Pomfrey went to the bed and the midwitch approached from the other side. Again they went though the spells and incantations. But this time, the midwitch gasped.

"She's coming round. Blood pressure rising, respiration steady."

"The bleeding has stopped!" shouted Madame Pomfrey, triumphantly.

Draco felt a great wave of relief wash over him has he sank into a chair near Ginny's bed. As Madame Pomfrey left to tell the Weasleys that everything was alright, he looked up and asked, "Madame, would you be so kind as to have someone bring me my daughter?"

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Ginny drifted towards the beautiful light in the distance. She didn't quite understand what was happening, but she knew she had to get to that light. Moving towards it seemed to be the most important thing in the world.

Then faintly she heard someone call her name. Turning back to look behind her into the darkness, she heard it again. She recognized the voice as Draco's.

"Ginny, please." He called. "Ginny come back to me."

Ginny moved towards his voice, but then she hesitated looking back at the light. So warm, so comforting. She knew if she went to it she would find love and happiness.

Draco called again. "Carina needs you. I need you. I love you Ginny. Please."

Something wet touched Ginny's hand. Looking down, she knew the drops were Draco's tears. She had to go back.

She gave one last glance over her shoulder at the beautiful light, then trudged determinedly back into the dark, back to Draco.

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Ginny opened her eyes. After a moment, her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room. She turned her head to see a handsome blond man sitting next to her with a pink wrapped bundle in his arms.

"Hello Princess." He said, smiling softly at her. "Would you like to meet your daughter?"


	12. Chapter 12

Ginny looked in the mirror and adjusted the crown of flowers on her red head. The mirror remarked "You look perfectly lovely dear, stop fidgeting and get out there."

Ginny smiled her thanks at the mirror and turned as the door opened and Arthur looked in. "Ready Ginny?" he asked.

"Yes, Dad." She said and walked over to take his arm. Her fleeting thought was that she was finally fulfilling her destiny.

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Draco shifted from foot to foot nervously, as he surveyed the people in the vast sea of folding chairs in the back garden of the Weasley burrow. It still amazed him that his mother had given in without a fight to Molly when she insisted that the wedding be held in the backyard. When he questioned her about it later, Narcissa had said, almost conspiringly "You have no idea how insistent Molly can be. In school she was practically a bully. Besides, I think we've made the garden acceptable." And indeed they had. Narcissa had spent galleons upon galleons to get just the right plants and decorations for the wedding. Beautiful flowers and green grass abounded. And Hermione had released Crookshanks in the yard a week ago. There was not a gnome in sight.

"Ready mate?" Bill said, clapping a hand on Draco's shoulder. Draco had asked Bill to be his best man and Ginny had insisted Hermione be matron of honor. They both reasoned that without the two of them, Ginny and Draco might still be miserably apart.

"Ready." Draco said, smiling. They took their place at the top of the walkway between the center rows of chairs, just under a trellis of roses, charmed to send their aroma across the yard. The wedding march began to play and moments later Ginny and Arthur appeared from the back door of the cottage.

Draco caught sight of Ginny and sucked in his breath sharply. She was _beautiful._ In a dress of simple white with a wreath of flowers in her glorious red hair, he knew there wasn't another man on earth as lucky as he was. 'Mine' he thought. He heard the gurgle of a baby and glanced quickly at where Carina was nestled in Molly's arms, amid a sea of pink blanket. 'They're mine, and by all the Gods, so help me, I'll never, _never,_ lose them again.'

Ginny smiled sweetly up at him as Arthur placed her hand in Draco's. Draco felt a foolish grin spread across his face. '_Malfoys do not grin' _he thought, then grinned even wider.

Albus Dumbledore cleared his throat and Draco and Ginny shifted their attention to him as the ceremony began.

Later, as they danced, Draco asked his red haired wife, "Happy love?"

Ginny hugged him closer as she said, "How could I not be?"

Things had changed dramatically in the two weeks that had followed Carina's birth. Both Ginny and Draco had undergone that magical transformation of immaturity to adulthood. Finally it had sunk in to both of their heads that the time for pridefulness had past and it was time to be adults and raise their child and love one another. There would be no more months of not speaking and being apart. They had made their mistakes and worked through them, they had knocked down all the walls that had been built before them, they had tackled every obstacle, and passed every test the Gods had thrown at them with flying colors.

Draco released Ginny and only smiled at her when she looked at him questioningly. He made his way towards the band where the singer relinquished the microphone to him and with his eyes on Ginny only, he began to sing.

There's a bar on my head  
There's a cross for my bed  
There's my heart in my hand  
There's my stick in the sand

Here where the world starts spinning round  
take a ride and you'll feel what you've never found  
Here when the stars start fading out  
you hear the angels laughing without a sound

Welcome to the beautiful…

She sits here… far away  
in my breast, in my grace  
She's the best… the best of me  
She my love, she's my queen…talking to me

And when your world starts spinning down  
take a ride and you'll feel what you never found  
When the stars start fading out  
You hear the angels laughing without a sound

Welcome to the beautiful

I met myself just today  
Came alive in my grave  
And I'm the best, the best of me  
For you my love… for you I'll be

When the world starts slowing down  
Take a ride and you'll feel what you never found  
And as the stars are fading out  
I hear the angels laughing without a sound

Welcome to the beautiful…the beautiful…

When Draco left the stage and gathered Ginny into his arms, all around the people who loved them knew that the love they witnessed would be one that lasted a lifetime.


	13. Epilogue

"Ginny!" Draco called as he entered the house. "Ginny, come here!"

She appeared in the doorway and he waved a piece of paper he'd just received from an owl in their garden. "Well, what is it?"

"Here, you read it." He said, pushing it at her. Ginny took the paper and read aloud.

"Dear Mr. Malfoy,

We received a copy of a demo tape in our office recently of your work. With the demo tape was a note with your name and instruction on how to contact you. While we found the instructions odd to say the least, we are very interested in speaking to you about your work.

We understand that you are part of an orchestra and extremely talented but we find your original music and songs outstanding and are very excited to offer you a recording contract. If you are interested please contact me as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

David Jenkins

Executive Producer, P&R Records."

Ginny looked up, dumbfounded. "Who would send in a tape of your work to a muggle recording studio?"

"I don't know, but do you realize what this could mean?" Draco said. "Millions of people listening to my music!"

Just then, a wail rang out from the back of the house. Ginny smiled. "Well, your daughter seems to be all for it."

Draco smirked. "My daughter is letting you know she wants her dinner."

"Yes, she's pretty demanding. Reminds me of another Malfoy I know." Ginny said, heading for the nursery, bottle in hand.

"Let me." Draco said, taking the bottle and gathering up the baby from the cradle.

He looked down at the mass of blond ringlets and smiled. Two steely gray eyes stared back at him as Carina greedily drank.

"Draco." Ginny said quietly as she came up behind him and laid her head on his shoulder as he fed the baby. "I have some news as well."

"Remember last month? When we were in such a rush and I didn't take my potion? Well, how do you feel about another one of these?" she asked, nodding to Carina.

Draco looked up sharply. "Ginny. Are you sure?"

She grinned ruefully. "Quite."

"Oh Ginny. Remember what happened with Carina? We can't stand to lose you." He said, looking worried.

"Draco, Poppy told you that would almost surely never happen again. It was just a fluke. This time will be different. This time will be easy."

Draco still didn't look convinced and Ginny moved around in front of him and encompassed both he and the baby in her arms. "This time we'll be together."


End file.
